Not All There
by JeffnaBoots
Summary: Nobody could see him. Nobody except his sister. TW: Character Death.


They couldn't see what she could see.

They never had been able to.

Victoria was alone, but also never alone.

Mistoffelees was there.

Always.

"Sister…" he purred, his pretty white head cocked to the side, staring at her.

She tilted her head to acknowledge him, but nothing more. It was too strange for the rest of the tribe. She had learnt that early on.

"Sister… want to play a game?"

He was so real. In the beginning she wondered if it was an elaborate prank. Munkustrap had told her that her brother was dead, his face so still and serious, and all she could do was laugh.

Because he wasn't dead – he was standing right beside her. Surprised. Baffled. As interested in the news as she was.

And then she wondered if he had actually made himself invisible.

But no.

The toms had taken her to see his body and she cried, with Mistoffelees both in front of her, dead, and beside her, consoling her.

"A game?" she whispered, lips barely moving, barely audible. He seemed to always know, anyway.

"Mmhm. It's called potholes…" he breathed, crawling forward and nuzzling his headfur against her paws.

"I don't like that game…" she murmured, "You hurt my friends…"

Mistoffelees pouted, gazing up at her and glancing towards Pouncival.

The young kitten was doing laps of the Junkyard, his own version of parkour as he flipped off junk heaps and slid under low beams. Mistoffelees smirked, waving his hands, and suddenly the kitten tripped.

He went head over heels, skidding in the mud on his face until he came to a stop.

Victoria watched with dull interest. Mistoffelees' influence was thick and clouded her reactions, making her come across as dazed and uncaring, while the other cats leapt to see if Pouncival was okay.

"I like that game…" Mistoffelees purred, suddenly on her other side, nuzzling up close.

"Is he okay?" she asked softly, with no motivation to find out.

"Fine," the black and white tom hummed lazily, "Just bruised."

He had become a puppet master, able to work his magic through Victoria, leaving her exhausted. He played tricks and controlled the Jellicles, and nobody suspected her.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered softly.

It wasn't the first time she'd asked.

"I'm bored…"

"Then why are you lingering…?"

There was a long pause, and Mistoffelees was in front of her, gazing into her bright eyes with his dark ones.

"For you, Vicky…"

Her eyes widened. He'd never answered her before. Usually he simply disappeared.

"What?"

"For you," he shrugged, "Think of what you'd be without me…"

She swallowed hard, eyes narrowing, "I'm nothing with you,"

"Don't be like that…"

"Why? It's the truth," she hissed, the most emotion he'd seen from her since he'd died, "You change me. You make me nothing. The tribe fears me, I fear myself. I fear you."

He recoiled at that, claws scratching the dirt but making no tracks, "Victoria."

"Please," she begged.

He gazed up at her with sad eyes, leaning close to headbutt her, "You really want me gone?"

"I… I don't want you to play anymore. I just… want to go back to… to before."

"When I was alive?"

She nodded slowly, reaching for him and tugging him close. For her, he was always solid.

"I'll go…" he said quietly, reaching to cup her face, pressing their foreheads together, "For you… I'll go."

She gazed at him with some suspicion, almost able to feel his warm breath on her face, "Why now?"

"It's… it's time you got to be on your own," he said sadly, "To move on."

She nuzzled him, tears overflowing and tracking down her white face. She wrapped her arms around him, a tiny sob escaping her lips.

"I love you," she whispered, wishing he didn't have to go, but desperately wanting him to at the same time.

"I love you too, my sister. Always."

She cried as he dematerialised. As she fell through him until she was curled into a ball, sobbing into her arms.

Mistoffelees watched from the corner of the Junkyard, now concealed to everyone – even her.

His business wasn't completed… and though it hurt to leave her… maybe he had gone too far.

He would need her again, he thought.

But for now…

He'd leave her be.


End file.
